Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette

This post has been compensated as part of my ongoing partnership with Barlean’s and may contain affiliate links. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep me creative in my tiny kitchen!

This quick, simple Middle Eastern salad + homemade pita chips brings all the flavor of falafel in a fraction of the time – no deep frying required!

Do you like falafel? I have a favorite falafel recipe that my family absolutely loves, but it does take a bit of time to put together.

But sometimes I’m craving the flavors of falafel without having to put in a ton of effort, and that’s where this Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette comes in!

This salad comes together quickly, is packed with plant-based nutrition, and is a great dish to take on-the-go.

Since I typically enjoy my falafel stuffed in a pita, I thought it would be fun to turn some pita bread into homemade pita chips to pack up alongside my salad.

This is a really simple treat to make at home, and pita chips are a fun addition to any snack or lunch box meal.

To make the pita chips extra special, I added one of my favorite super seed blends from Barlean’s. Their Energy Blend is a mix of Panax ginseng, organic flaxseed, chia seed and coconut. It’s full of Omega-3 (ALA), antioxidants, and fiber.

I love sprinkling this blend on my cottage cheese and fruit in the morning, or on yogurt parfaits. And it makes a great addition to pita chips!

I haven’t tried it yet, but the Energy Blend is also able to be mixed into bars and baked goods. Barlean’s recommends swapping out 1/2 cup of flour in a recipe that calls for 2 cups total with 1/2 cup of energy blend.

To get the seeds to stick, I used a little melted coconut oil. This is another versatile ingredient that I use for all sorts of things in my tiny kitchen, including seasoning our cast iron skillets!

This salad can be assembled while the pita chips bake. The whole thing can be ready in around 15 minutes!

My Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette includes a simple mix of spices that give it a Middle Eastern flair. I absolutely love the mix of cumin, coriander, and paprika.

I ended up buying the insulated thermal container from LunchBots to send hot foods to school with him for lunch, too. Both containers have been a big hit and a great addition to our food-on-the-go container stash.

Psst… I’m giving away one of the bento-style containers from LunchBots, along with your choice of one of the 3 Barlean’s items pictured above – check out the end of my post to win one of your own!

I’ve found that this salad pairs incredibly well with fresh figs. For snacking, 2 pita chips, a bit of salad, and some fresh fruit is just the right amount. If you’re having this as a meal, 4 pita chips alongside a larger portion of the salad is perfect.

Be sure to check out my Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Flatbreads if you want to try out another one of our favorite spins on falafel. It’s total street food/comfort food mashup!

Looking for more of our favorite salads? Check out these 5-star recipes:

Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette

Description

This quick, simple Middle Eastern salad + homemade pita chips brings all the flavor of falafel in a fraction of the time – no deep frying required!

Ingredients

For Pita Chips:

2 pieces pita bread

1-2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

2-3 teaspoons Barlean’s Energy Blend

For Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons flax oil

2 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground paprika

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

For Salad:

1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

1 English cucumber, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

For Pita Chips: Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut each piece of pita bread in half, then cut each half into 4 triangles. Place pita triangles in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush each pita with a thin layer of coconut oil and sprinkle with Barlean’s Energy Blend. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until the pita is starting to brown. Set aside and let cool.

For Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together flax oil, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt and pepper.

For Salad: In a large bowl, place chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, cilantro and parsley. Pour in half of the vinaigrette and stir well to combine. Add more dressing, if desired.

Did you make this recipe?

Note: This post includes affiliate links for items that I genuinely enjoy. Big Flavors will receive a tiny commission from purchases made through affiliate links on this site at no added cost to you. This allows us to cover site-related expenses and helps to keep us cooking up a storm!

Oooh the maple-tahini-lemon combo sounds awesome, Ashima! And yes – the seeds were a great addition to the pita chips. Made them feel a little more special than “plain” pita chips. Thanks for stopping by and your kind words 🙂

Lois. O

You had me at falafel spiced… I can eat falafels all day if you gave me the choice, but being that it is fried it is probably better for me to have it like this. Thanks for the healthier refresh you put on typical falafels

What a great looking salad and the plus is that it’s good for you too. I love the box — I wish I would have had it when the kids were young. I do love the addition of chickpeas — a great source of protein.

Maqhi Davis

I’m loving this salad recipe. It sounds so refreshing. That seed blend is one I need to look for. It sounds so versatile. I’d pack salads, fruits, and snacks…maybe some leftovers. My granddaughter loves bento style boxes for her lunches.

I love the vinaigrette flavors….some of my favorites. I have never heard of Barleans but their products look so cool. I’m entering your raffle … .I hope I win! I see they are in Whole Foods so I’ll give them a look next time I’m there. That Energy blend looks interesting. (If I won, I would use this bento box for my son in hopes to feed him a better lunch).

Hi Ashley, I won the raffle for the Barlean’s Energy Blend and just used it for the first time. I wanted to let you know that I love it! I wish had tried it sooner. I’m so glad I won this because I would never have discovered this product otherwise and I really, really like it!

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About Ashley Covelli

I’m the food writer, recipe developer + photographer behind Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen. I am dedicated to helping you (yes, you!) find your next favorite recipe. My goal is to encourage you to cook delicious food at home no matter what your skill level.